This invention relates to the field of fast cooking pasta such as spaghetti in individual servings, and rapidly enough for use in vending machines, fast food restaurants, and the like.
Prior art machines of this kind do not include controls and apparatus which make it possible to monitor and maintain the water temperature needed and the pressure needed to accomplish complete cooking of the spaghetti and other pasta within the short time span of about a minute or less. The machine in accordance with the present invention includes such controls and apparatus and thus solves the problem of failing to completely cook the spaghetti or other pasta.
Prior art machines for cooking foods such as spaghetti and other pasta include those disclosed in the following United States patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,632 discloses a machine which performs a three phase cooking process and utilizes a plurality of cooking chambers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,160 discloses a machine for fast cooking of pasta and the like which also utilizes a plurality of cooking chambers, in this case two, and a food transfer system comprising a conduit and valve through which the pasta must be moved in order to complete the second phase of the cooking cycle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,916 discloses a machine for rapidly cooking batches of spaghetti, which also utilizes two cooking chambers and requires a food transfer system comprising a valve and conduit through which the food has to be moved from the first cooking chamber to the second.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,632 discloses an apparatus for automatically cooking pasta comprising a basket to hold the pasta inside a housing which receives heated water, two heat exchangers and a recirculating system to conserve and re-utilize heat from previously used water to cook a previous batch of pasta.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,917 discloses an apparatus to automatically cook pasta and deposit it on a serving plate, comprising a basket to hold the serving of pasta to be cooked, a cooking vessel to receive boiling water which can be moved upwardly to receive the basket of pasta therein for cooking, and apparatus to thereafter move the basket of cooked pasta into position over the serving plate whereupon it opens to deposit the pasta on the plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,261 discloses a cooking apparatus for simultaneously cooking several separate quantities of pasta, including a plurality of perforated baskets to hold each quantity of pasta, and a chamber of steam and hot water in which the baskets of pasta are suspended for cooking.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,514 discloses a cooking device for cooking individual servings of food, comprising a plurality of perforated pots to hold individual servings of pasta or the like, into which boiling water is pumped from a reservoir to cook the pasta, after which the pots are lifted to let the water drain through the perforations and the individual servings can then be removed for eating.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,482 discloses an automatic high-pressure flash cooker to cook beans or grains under high pressure steam, comprising a steaming chamber in which the food product is exposed to steam, and conduits to introduce the steam therein as well as to later drain the water and steam therefrom, after which the flash-cooked beans or grains are removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,045 discloses an automatic cooking and vending machine for boiled noodles, comprising a refrigeration chamber to hold containers of pre-cooked or boiled noodles, a cooking chamber to heat the noodles and eventually add a broth thereto for flavoring, then dispensing the broth flavored noodles in the containers for eating.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,790,391 discloses an apparatus for steam pressure cooking of food, comprising a steam pressure cooker, an open top container therein to hold the food to be cooked, a steam distributing pipe having apertures for release of steam positioned below the open top containers, and steam from an external source is pumped into and through the steam distributing pipe from which steam exits through the apertures and through the food in the open top container positioned above the steam distributing pipe.